Differences in performing standardized assessment of fine motor skills between czech and slovenian occupational therapists: Nine Hole Peg Test

Abstract

Background: For standardized assessment of fine motor skills, therapists use the Nine Hole Peg Test (NHPT). The subject's task is to put nine pegs into the holes in the pegboard one by one as quickly as possible and then return them to the container, while their time is measured.

The aim was to find out whether occupational therapists from the Czech Republic and Slovenia react uniformly in selected specific situations during testing using the NHPT and whether they agree in their evaluation.

Methods: An online survey was distributed to Czech and Slovenian occupational therapists in their native languages. It contained short videorecording of situations showing pegs falling on the pegboard, on the table, on the floor or in the lap, as well as pegs bouncing off the container as the attempt is completed. Collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics.

Results: Answers from 87 Czech and 67 Slovenian therapists showed significant differences between their reactions to specific situations and their ways of evaluating them. They disagreed on the ways of (not) counting the attempt with the specific situation, timing of stopping the attempt, encouraging the completion of attempt, helping to pick up fallen pegs, explaining a repeated attempt, the final position of the pegs after completing the task.

Conclusions: For truly objective testing, a NHPT manual containing rules that unify how therapists shall respond to specific situations and evaluate them is essential. Monitoring the frequency of specific situations and the number of initiated attempts to complete the NHPT is recommended.